Introduction

Biography

Cotton was the son of In­crease Ma­ther (sixth pre­si­dent of Har­vard Col­lege, now Har­vard Uni­vers­ity) and Ma­ria Cot­ton, and un­cle of Ma­ther Byles.

He served as pas­tor at the Sec­ond Church of Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts, from 1685 un­til his death. He was one of the best known lead­ers of co­lo­ni­al Mas­sa­chu­setts, and was elect­ed to the Roy­al So­ci­ety in 1713.

Works

• Wonders of the In­vi­si­ble World (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts & Lon­don: 1693)
• Magnalia Chris­ti Am­eri­ca­na (Lon­don: print­ed for Tho­mas Park­hurst, 1702)
• Psalterium Am­eri­ca­num (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: S. Knee­land, 1718)
• Agricola (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1727)